


Of Goodbyes and Salutes

by thefieryembers



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Compliant, Chapter 132 spoilers, F/M, Female Hange Zoë, I am crying until now, Im sorry this looks so rushed, Implied Death, Levihan canon but at what cost, My GOAT
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:22:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26318632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefieryembers/pseuds/thefieryembers
Summary: A glimpse of Hange Zoe's final heroic act.Chapter 132 HC.
Relationships: Hange Zoë & Everyone, Levi/Hange Zoë
Comments: 12
Kudos: 78





	Of Goodbyes and Salutes

**Author's Note:**

> Did I ever tell you how devastated I was after reading the leaks? yeah...
> 
> Also, some of the info may be inaccurate as I was only trying to write out my headcanon for this chapter.

As soon as she noticed the slight delay of the take-off, Hange knew something was amiss. The colossal titans were almost upon them and everyone in the plane knew how crucial each passing second was. She looked around in alarm to confirm her suspicions and true enough, everyone looked as grim as she.

“What’s taking so long?” Connie asked frantically. He looked out the window for signs of elevation but alas, they were still on the ground.

Hange could already feel the interior of the plane shaking; the chairs trembled and the trinkets hanging at the cockpit section swayed back and forth.

_They’re close._

She was about to shout off another order when Armin vehemently emerged from the engine room door. He was covered in sweat, grime and all the while masking a look of pure terror.

“The fuel tank has been damaged! No one knows when or who made the shot. A bullet grazed it and the leakage got worse! The engineers are doing what they can right now but—“, he stopped short, heaving large breaths.

As if on cue, Hange immediately recognized what seemed like the smell of burnt gas circulating around the room. Armin’s announcement was tied with a horrid reminder: Unless the Azumabito engineers could fix it on time, they were all going to be reduced to smithereens in the next minute.

“But what?” Mikasa softly prodded. It was commendable how the young soldier was able to stay calm despite it all, but the hard grip on her dual blades and tense shoulders told them otherwise.

“But it’ll take around 5-10 minutes max for other parts of the engine to work. We have to buy them some time.” Armin finished gravely.

They were all expecting the worst, really. They had been through so many losses that being optimistic was already out of the question. But still, as soon as Armin overtly announced it, the realization of how bleak the situation really was hung around them like a gaping black hole. Hange suddenly felt her fingertips get cold.

She looked around the members aboard the plane. The 104th, the Marleyans and Warriors, the remaining Azumabito Clan, all too injured and weary from the recent fight. And Levi, well…

He was sitting quietly at one corner in the plane, bandaged, and able to do so much as standing up from where he was seated without staggering. If it were any other day on one of their Expeditions, he could easily slow down and hack the opposing enemy and return to the plane unscathed.

But those hulking, 60-meter creatures were not just your ordinary, brainless titans. They were far more dangerous and almost impossible to kill.

Hange could not bear to pass him that role this time. The humanity’s strongest wasn’t at his peak condition and she would very much like to avoid every little bit of casualty.

“It’s almost here. Reiner, Annie and Falco are injured and resting. We only have the Colossal Titan shifter, and my Cart titan won’t do much damage.” Pieck interrupted the growing silence.

Hange would very much like to shut her up for stating the obvious. Everyone’s mind was in frenzy already and that was in no way to offer a consolation. She racked up her brain for a solution, a sign, _anything_.

_When necessary we must be willing to take big risks, and be prepared to lose everything._

Erwin’s words suddenly rang out inside her head, loud and clear. The low rumble persisted even strongly this time, and Hange thought what a perfect timing that was.

Taking risks on pivotal moments were inevitable, even if it meant losing one’s life. Erwin clearly emphasized how the chain of command should live on and be preserved and that, leaders could be replaced. _She_ could easily be replaced. As long as there was someone at the helm, everything would work out, somehow.

 _“Thank you, Erwin._ ” Hange thought somberly.

The only thing left for her to do is choose someone to be next in line and carry the weight of such massive responsibility. She opened her mouth for her last order.

“Everyone, listen to me.”

The heads turned almost in unison. She scanned and took note every feature of their faces. She etched it religiously at the back of her mind, and willed for it to give her hope and strength in doing the dangerous task she was about to do.

“I figured out a way to buy us all some time. But you all have to promise me there will be no objections.”

Neither of them nodded their heads. They could all be such stubborn teenagers but Hange found it to be endearing. These people were like her old comrades; loyal, headstrong and worthy of her trust. She took a deep breath.

“I will go out there and try to immobilize some of the titans in the front row. Armin, relay this message to the engineers. Mikasa, Jean, and Connie, stay here and be on lookout for possible intruders. That stray bullet was enough to tell us there will be more. Guard each and every one of the people aboard this plane. Got it?” she finished.

Everyone’s mouths were agape with incredulity and she could not blame them. Even she herself doubted that this reckless plan of hers would work. She may be the brains of the Survey Corps but they were not graced with time on this one, and the odds were unpleasantly against them. This was the most feasible way Hange could think of.

“Hange, what the hell—“

“Hange, please—“

“There must be some other way, Hange.”

Chorus of protests blared inside the plane, all indignant at the thought of her facing the titans alone. It was a mixture of those from the 104th, and even Reiner who was at the brink of consciousness. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to dull out the noise, to _think_.

But there was nothing much to think. This was a suicidal charge.

Armin, voice an octave higher, pleaded. “Please Hange, we could— we could devise another plan, another way. Just not _that_ ,” his voice broke, “not what you were suggesting.”

She walked towards the young titan shifter and put both her hands on his shoulders. “There is no other way, Armin. We don’t have much time. I must do this. In this life, sacrifices are made. Put that in mind, Armin as I am appointing you as the 15th Commander of the Scouts should I be unable to get back here.”

“But—“

“Heed my order.” She said firmly.

Armin dipped down his head in utter defeat and Hange sighed. Her heart felt heavy after telling all that to the young soldier. She turned and bid everyone farewell.

“Everyone, I thank you all for your service. It has been an honor to be your Commander all these years. I’ve watched you all grow and become soldiers whom I can entrust humanity with. And Onyankopon, thank you for the profound knowledge you lent me.”

Armin started sniffing, Jean didn’t even bother to hide the tears that started brimming on his eyes. Connie pounded on a nearby wall out of frustration and Mikasa looked away and pulled her red scarf closer to her face. Hange would certainly miss all of them.

It would very much be heroic to add some more to her farewell speech, or even crack a little jest to lighten up the mood. But she didn’t trust herself to utter any more, or she would break down, too. So she ended it with a determined nod and turned around.

She walked her way towards the door of the plane where Levi, silent and still, sat beside Pieck. 

“Hey, Shitty Four-Eyes.” He called.

Something inside her gut clenched at the thought of missing to hear him call her by that nickname forever. She looked at him and for a second, his eyebrows knit together in one worried line. His working eye reflected that familiar look of sadness that Hange knew from all the years having to always watch someone die.

“What is it, Levi?” She said, keeping her tone lively and calm.

“Don’t.”

One word and it almost sounded like a whisper. Hange realized that he was, in fact, pleading. Pleading for her not to go and do this suicidal mission.

She did not want to go, too but they were left with minimal options. It was either only her death or the death of thousands more. That was a no-brainer. Hange easily knew the answer.

“You know don’t you, Levi?” she let out a shaky breath as the quiet cries from the young soldiers continued to ring out in the background, “My time has finally come and I want to put on a cool act. Please—“

She briefly looked away, and stared at the ominous blue sea up ahead.

“Please let me go.” She finished quietly.

Levi got up and sauntered towards her. He stopped, placed his right hand on her chest and gave it a slight tug. He looked her deep in the eye, gray meeting auburn, and nodded sadly, understanding her decision.

His hand felt warm and snug and Hange would trade a thousand lifetimes of hers to freeze this exact moment. 

“Dedicate your heart, Commander Hange Zoe.”

She put her right hand over his and clasped it, feeling its roughness as she decided she would remember this moment forever.

“I will.” She answered back and gently lowered both their hands.

They both turned their backs; Levi sat down as Hange opened the door of the plane, readied her ODM gear and thunder spear to face the titans.

As soon as she saw them, she trembled at the sight but the bittersweet goodbyes gave her a surge of newfound strength.

She took off with renewed valor, grappling a hook on the searing skin of one of the giants. The action immediately gave her a blister but she continued to do her duty, nonetheless.

_She couldn’t breathe._

As she took down what seemed to be her 4th colossal titan, she could already feel her lungs giving up, her body burning and rising to an abnormally high temperature. She took one last look at the plane as it took off, still hearing the screams and howls of those inside it.

She sat down on one of the craters made by the giants, spent from all the action she just did and looked up at the sky. She smiled as she pondered about how well she did her last job as commander.

Then the peaceful sky she looked up to was no more. It was replaced with a reddish and ugly scene as another wave of colossus came. 

"Ahh... Titans really are wonderful."

And the last thing Hange Zoe saw was absolute darkness.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry if this felt so rushed. I was just so sad and had to let it out. I hope you all enjoyed (?) reading or... is that even the right word T_T
> 
> I still hope the actual translated chapter tells me otherwise and my bby Hange is alive and well (BUT I HIGHLY DOUBT IT).


End file.
